Make room on your bookshelves for what could be a major tell-all account of recent Memphis political history or — alternately and additionally — an instructive first-person account of the life and times of Willie Herenton, the first elected Black mayor in the city’s history.
The book, entitled The Bottom, is to be self-published and will make its debut in April, according to Herenton..
The former mayor, who served 17 years as Memphis’ chief executive, sent over a copy of the book’s proposed cover, along with the following synopsis of its contents:
“Making the quantum leaps from poverty in South Memphis to becoming the first Black superintendent of the Memphis City Schools — and later becoming the first elected Black mayor of the city of Memphis is a story told by Willie Herenton.
“Breaking racial barriers in spite of the odds is truly inspirational. Coming up from the impoverished dust of South Memphis to City Hall. (Is a story of what good can come out of South Memphis.)”